Coupling connection.



A. E. NORRIS.

COUPLING CONNECTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1907.

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THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D, C,

A. E. NORRIS.

COUPLING CONNECTION. APPLICATION PiLm) MAR. 28, 1901.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

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THE [NORRIS PETERS CO., PHOTCLITHO.. WASHINGTON. D, C.

ALMON E. NORRIS, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

COUPLING CONNECTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

lP'at-ented Mar, 30, 1915..

Application filed March 28, 1907. Serial No. 364,981.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ALMON E. Nonnrs, a citizen of the United States, residing in Cambridge, county of ltlliddlesex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an 1mprovement in Coupling Connections, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

One very familiar form of hoisting apparatus is what is commonly known as the steam hoist. it comprises a base or frame on which both the hoisting drums and the steam engine for operating them are mounted, the cylinders of said engine usually be ing connected to crank disks on the end of a crank shaft, which crank shaft is geared to the hoisting drum or drums.

Under some circumstances and in some locations an electrical hoisting device is preferable to a steam hoisting device, and such electrical hoists are now madewith the motor and drums all mounted on the same frame.

It is the object of my present invention to provide a construction by which a steam hoist of this general nature can be converted into an electric hoist at a minimum expense and without discarding the hoisting drums of the steam hoist. 1 accomplish this by disconnecting the engine from the crank shaft of the steam hoist and providing a novel coupling connection by which said crank shaft can be connected to a motor-driven shaft which is preferably mounted on a frame separate from the base or frame carrying the engine, so that by simply placing the motorsustaining frame in proper alinement with the engine crank shaft and coupling it to the engine crank shaft by my improved coupling, an electric driven hoist will be provided.

In the drawings wherein 1 have shown one embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a plan view of a hoisting engine converted into an electric hoist; Fig. 2 is a section through the universal joint connection on the line m-a2, Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a side View of the electric motor and its driving mechanism disconnected from the hoisting drums and their support.

In the drawings 3 is the base or frame of any usual hoisting engine on which are mounted the cylinders 4 of the engine, the

hoisting drums 5 and 6 and the crank shaft 7 which is geared to the hoisting drums by gears, 8, 9 and 10 and by which said drums are rotated. The shaft 7 has on its end the crank disks 12 provided with the crank pins 13 to which the pitman of the engine would be connected if the devices were set up for a steam hoist. 14 and 15 are usual levers for controlling the clutches of the drums 5 and 6. These parts may have any suitable or usual construction and are such as are commonly found in a hoisting engine wherein the drums are operated by steam. To provide for converting a hoisting engine of this character into an electric hoist with a mini.- mum expense, I have provided a novel coupling connection by which the shaft 7 can be coupled to a motor driven. shaft of an electric-driving mechanism which is mounted on a base or frame 16 that is entirely independent or separate from the base 3. This electric driving mechanism comprises a motor 17 of any suitable or approved pattern, which has on the shaft thereof a gear 18 that meshes with and drives a gear 19 fast to the driving shaft 20. ihis driving shaft is supported in suitable bearings 21 on the base 16, and a suitable flexible connection is provided for connecting it to the crankshaft 7. It is necessar that the driving connection between the driving shaft and the crank-shaft 7 should be flexible so as to avoid the necessity of accurately leveling the base 16 in setting up the device. I have shown herein one convenient and simple flexible connection which comprises a disk 22 fast to the shaft 20 and having two pairs of ribs or lugs thereon, each pair of ribs forming between them a groove in which is received a rib 23 on the face of an intermediate disk 24. The ribs 23 are diametrically arranged on one side of the intermediate disk 24 and on the opposite face thereof said disk has two diametrically arranged ribs 26 adapted tobe received in grooves in the face of a crank-disk-receiving member 27, said ribs 26 extending at right angles to the grooves and ribs 25, 23. The member 27 is provided on one face with a recess 28. see Fig. 2, shaped to fit over the crank-disk 12, and said member is provided with an aperture adapted to receive the crank-pin 13.

30 is an automatically-operative brake, such for instance as shown in my reissued Patent No. 12040, dated Eieptember 30, 1902,

which cooperates with a brake disk on the shaft to prevent backward rotation of the motor.

In converting a steam hoist into an elecmounted on the auxiliary base or frame16 into proper position with-the shaft 20in substantial aline'ment with theshaft Tand with the member 27 fitted over the crank disk-12, as seen in Fig. 1. When the parts are thus set up the shaft Y and therefore the drums 5 and 6 may be driven by the motor 17 which may be controlled by any suitable controller 32 preferably mounted on the base orframe 3 adjacent to the clutch-operating level-s lt and 115 so thatthe operator can easily reach both the controller and the clutch-operating levers.

It is not essentialto accurately level up the frame or base 16 to bring it into exactly the same plane of the base or frame 3, because even if shafts 20 and 7 are not accurately alined the power will betransferred from the shaft 20 tothe shaft 7 without any binding of the parts owing to the flexible connection or universal joint construction between said shafts.

An apparatus as shown in Fig. 1 is easily handled and capable of the same work as an electric hoist in'which the hoisting drums are mounted on thesame base withthemotor, and by reason of my invention a ma chine having the advantage of an electric hoist can be secured without discarding entirely all parts of the old steam hoist and at a very moderateexpense.

I have described herein one embodiment only of my invention and have not attempted to illustrate all forms 1n whlch it may be embodied.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is v 1. The combination with a crank shaft of a hoisting engine having a crank disk there on provided with a crank pin, of a driving shaft supported independently from the crank shaft, a cup-shaped crankdisk-receiv ing member inclosing the crank disk and having an aperture to receive the crank pin, and a flexible connection between said mc1nher and the drivingshaft.

2. The combination with a crank shaft having a crank disk provided with a crank pin, of a driving shaft, a cup-shaped crankdisk-receiving member loosely fitting over the crank disk and provided with an aperture to receive the crank pin, a driving disk on the end of the driving shaft, and an intermediate member flexibly connecting the driving disk and the crank-disk-receiving member.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALMON E. NORRIS.

Witnesses Louis C. SMITH, BERTHA F. HnUsEn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. 0. 

